When people look at my LinkedIn now, they see a Technical Services Engineer who completed an apprenticeship with a Distinction, earning certificates and achievements. What they do not always see is everything that happened before that.

Like a lot of people finishing school, I knew I wanted to work in technology, but I had no idea exactly how I was going to get there. I just knew I enjoyed IT, loved solving problems and spent far too much time around computers and devices.

Why did an apprenticeship appeal to me?

I also knew university was not necessarily the route I wanted to take. If I am honest, I struggled with school and never really enjoyed it. I found certain parts of school difficult and always preferred learning by actually doing things rather than just reading about them. Looking back now, that is probably one of the reasons apprenticeships appealed to me so much.

An apprenticeship felt like the perfect option. You get real experience, earn whilst learning and actually build skills in a real working environment rather than only learning theory.

Simple in theory.

Not always simple in reality.

What happened before I found my apprenticeship?

Before I found my apprenticeship, things honestly felt quite uncertain. After finishing school, I spent around a month going to college whilst continuing to search for apprenticeship opportunities.

If I am honest, I really did not enjoy it. I had no friends there, struggled to settle in and just knew deep down that it was not the environment I wanted to be in. Every day felt like I was there because I had to be, rather than because I wanted to be.

During that time, I kept applying for opportunities and constantly checking emails hoping for updates. Anyone who has looked for their first apprenticeship or job probably knows that feeling. You put effort into applications, spend time preparing and then sometimes hear absolutely nothing back.

That part can be frustrating. You start questioning yourself and wondering whether everyone else has somehow figured things out already. I definitely had moments like that.

What challenges was I dealing with outside of work?

Eventually I got the opportunity to interview for the apprenticeship that would later completely change my life. But around that same time, things became difficult outside of career plans too.

The same week as my interview, my grandma was already seriously unwell and in hospital. Then, just two days before I was due to start my apprenticeship, she sadly passed away.

Looking back now, that period felt like everything was happening at once. I had gone from trying to figure out my future, to finally getting an opportunity I had worked so hard for, whilst also dealing with losing someone incredibly important to me.

Starting a new role should have felt exciting, but I remember emotions being all over the place at the time. Looking back now, I think that period taught me resilience before I even realised it.

Why can getting your first opportunity feel so difficult?

One thing I realised early on is that getting your first opportunity can feel strange because employers ask for experience, but if nobody gives you a chance, where exactly are you supposed to get that experience from?

That cycle can knock your confidence quite quickly.

For me, resilience became a huge part of the process without me really noticing. I kept applying, kept learning and kept putting myself out there.

Eventually that led me to an amazing opportunity with my current employer and training provider. That opportunity changed a lot.

What was it actually like starting an apprenticeship?

I joined as an IT Apprentice and suddenly everything became very real, very quickly.

I was no longer learning from videos or reading online articles. I was speaking with real users, solving actual issues and working within live environments.

At first, that felt intimidating.

You go from learning theory to suddenly speaking to clients, troubleshooting issues and trying not to sound nervous on phone calls.

Imposter syndrome is very real, and I think lots of apprentices experience it but do not always say it out loud. You sit there thinking everyone around you knows more than you do.

Then slowly things start changing.

You solve tickets by yourself. You stop needing to search everything. You become more confident. You realise you actually do know what you are doing.

What did my apprenticeship teach me beyond IT?

One thing my apprenticeship taught me very quickly was that technical skills are only one part of the job.

I have learned more systems than I can count, adapted to new software, improved my phone skills and developed my time management, which I thought was decent before but quickly realised needed some work.

Balancing coursework alongside a full-time role is not always easy. There were definitely times where work responsibilities, assignments and normal life all collided at once.

People sometimes underestimate apprenticeships because they think you are simply learning whilst working. The reality is that you are learning, working, studying and developing professionally all at the same time.

You learn time management very quickly.

One of the biggest things I appreciated throughout my apprenticeship was how practical it felt. Things like networking scenarios and hands-on environments actually connected with the work I was doing every day.

I also had opportunities to get involved in projects that made me realise I was genuinely building a career. Not just completing tasks. Building a career.

Eventually all of that hard work led to one of my proudest moments, completing my Level 3 IT Apprenticeship with a Distinction.

That result meant a lot because it represented much more than a grade. It represented every application sent, every bit of self-doubt and every challenge along the way.

What advice would I give to someone trying to get their first opportunity?

Now I have moved from apprentice to engineer and looking back, I can honestly say I am glad I kept going.

If I could give one piece of advice, it would be this:

Keep going.

Do not compare yourself to other people.

Keep applying. Keep learning. Keep asking questions.

Build projects. Stay curious.

Also, when you do get that first opportunity, remember that nobody expects you to know everything.

Ask questions. Take notes. Get involved. Volunteer wherever you can.

And most importantly, be someone people enjoy working with.

Technical skills matter, but communication and attitude matter just as much.

Looking back now, getting my first opportunity was never about being the smartest person in the room. It was about showing up consistently and staying resilient even when things felt slow.

You never know which application, conversation or opportunity might end up changing everything.

Jovan Dhillon

Technical Services Engineer @ Netix Digital 👨🏽‍💻 | Ambassador @ ApprenticeWatch 🎓 | Helping You Land Apprenticeships 🚀 | Tech Enthusiast | MBCS | CAA

You can find out more and connect with Jovan on LinkedIn.